03explorereb
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- February 18, 2011
- Messages
- 129
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- cuba, missouri
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 06 explorer xlt
here's something that happened to me while installing a new intake on my wife's ex over this weekend. the other one developed a crack on the back crossover. took off the old one threw a blanket over the top and ordered a new one. i drained a little antifreeze out of it trying to prevent a bunch of it going all over the place. got the new intake, checking all intake ports for anything that somehow might have dropped in there (i am paranoid, what can i say) installed it and buttoned it up. went to start it, engine cranked for about one half second and stopped, by what i thought was resistance to something. i didn't try to crank the engine any further and crawled below to see if i could turn it by hand. nothing. pulled the coil packs back off and loosened all spark plugs up in their holes. went back down below and strangely enough the engine unseized. as i am rolling the engine i hear spitting and sputtering above. antifreeze had apparently somehow (don't ask me how) worked it's way out of the back crossover and traveled along the top of the head and made it's way into the #8 cylinder, hydraulicly locking the engine. i didn't see it because i guess the intake valve was open and it drained into the cylinder. vacuumed all cylinders and reinstalled the plugs, fired it up and all is well. i have built several engines and installed countless more but i have never encountered something like this. just telling my story so maybe i can prevent somebody from having a catastrophy. if i would have continued to try to crank on the engine it could have suffered a broken piston, cracked rings or bent pushrod. just saying....BEWARE.
